Politics

New York State expands universal pre-K funding by $432 million

The enacted 2026-27 budget increases Universal Pre-K funding by $432 million (40%), requiring all districts to offer full-day pre-K for eligible 4-year-olds by the 2028-29 school year.

By The Daily New York · Published July 24, 2026

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The enacted 2026-27 budget increases Universal Pre-K (UPK) funding by $432 million (40%), requiring all districts to offer full-day pre-K for eligible 4-year-olds by the 2028-29 school year, according to [68].

Foundation Aid received a $1.03 billion increase over the previous year with a guaranteed 2% minimum increase for every school district, incorporating updated poverty data and new weights for English Language Learners (0.6) and homeless or foster students (0.12), as reported in [68].

New York City's Department of Education Fiscal 2026 Preliminary Plan includes $921 million more in City funding than Fiscal 2025, though it received $588 million less in Foundation Aid than the State's initial proposal, according to [68].

The 2026-27 budget includes a $21.4 million increase for statewide Teacher Centers and expands the BOCES salary cap from $30,000 to $60,000 over three years, as stated in [68].

Sources: perplexity-sonar.

References Sourced but Not Limited to:

budget.ny.gov · Education

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